A newly established church in Narayantala, situated in the Basanti area of South 24 Parganas, was attacked by a group of men during its inauguration ceremony on Sunday, November 1, 2026. Preliminary observations by local authorities indicate that the violence appears to stem from an internal clash between two Christian factions.
The incident took place while attendees were gathered for inaugural prayers. According to Ramen Naskar, a member of the congregation, assailants entered the premises, shouted slogans, and physically assaulted those present, leaving numerous attendees injured and allegedly manhandling women. Another church member reported that at least 20 people sustained attacks, adding that even officiating priests were targeted during the ceremony.
Following the incident, the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), an interfaith organisation representing Christians across West Bengal, submitted a formal complaint at the Basanti Police Station. Officers subsequently arrived at the site to begin inquiries.
"Some miscreants entered while we were praying and raised slogans. Many of us were physically attacked and suffered injuries," said Ramen Naskar.
Herod Mullick, founder of the BCP, described the assault as an unprecedented event in which several priests were assaulted during a ceremonial service.
"Organised groups take the law into their own hands to target peaceful minorities, this is very concerning," Herod Mullick stated.
Officials from Basanti Police Station stated that the episode prima facie points toward an internal dispute between local Christian groups, noting that further investigation is in progress and a detailed statement will follow.
The development comes ten days after an incident in which three members of a Christian household were reportedly coerced into rituals to abandon Christianity and convert to Hinduism. A woman from that family lodged a complaint leading to a police FIR against 13 named individuals, though no arrests had been made in that matter.
